Twin-slug composition



Oct. 26 1926. 1,604,607

I w. RITENOUR TWIN SLUG COMPOSITION Filed Feb. 8. 1923. i 4 s us 1 -'2/I?ICA$ 2/ P/CA5------ IflfIl-"or instance, out of 115 books the printingiL [of which has been attributed to Fust and Schom K I 2 (LEFT ewe) 4 3 (RIGHT su/a) v FICLZ.

[fen the Library has 78; out of 116 attributed toll |l|the earliest three pri nters at Strasbourg, the] k2 4 J k,\. I p a F' I B a 'I lLibrary has 102; out of 177 printed at Cologne," Ilpresumably by Ulrich Zell, the Library has 123] F I 5.4. [From the standpoint of authority on the subject" |i|0 t e productions of the eafiy p r m \2 5 i K3 g lMuseum, it will therefore be seen. is exceptionally] |||if0rtunate. The Museum is issuing "printedl F l G 5 4 For instance, out of 115 books the printnflof whi as been attributed to Fust and Schoeffer, the Library has 78; out of 116 attributed to the earliest three printers at Strasbourg, the Library has 102; out of 177 printed at Cologne presumably by Ulrich Zell, the Library has 123- From the standpoint of authority on the jec f the productions of the early printers, the Museum, it will therefore be seen is e eptionally] rtunate. The Museum is issuing printed IN VE/V T01? WITNESSES Oct. 26 1926.

WITNESSES 1,604,607 w. H. RITENOUR TWIN SLUG COMPOSITION Feb. 8. 1923, 4 sheets-sheet 2 Oct. 26 1926.-

W. H-. RITENOUR' TWIN SLUG COMPOSITION 4 sheets-sheet 5 Filed Feb. 8. 1923 W. H. RITENQUR TWIN SLUG COMPOSITION Oct. 26 1926. 1,604,607

Filed Feb. 8. 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 P FIE-2.11. a 6

with my invention Patented Oct. 26, 1926.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. RI'IENOUR, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA,

, TWIN-SLUG COMPOSITION.

Application filed February 8, 1923. Serial No. 617,780.

My invention relates to typographioal'machines of the general construction of the well-known linotype, wherein matrices and spacebands are assembled into a line by the manipulation of the keyboard, the line pre sented to a moldand a slug cast therefrom, after whichthe matrices and spacebands are automatically distributed to their various receptacles.

The object of my invention is the production of twin-slug composition by means of relatively long, short, and-even-length slugs without the divisionof. a word from a left to a right slug.

In order to convey, a clear. understanding of my invention it is. necessary todescribe the usual trade method of. handling twinslug composition when the desired measure exceeds the maximum eapacity of the machine, which'capacity is .usually30picas. A ssuming the desired measure to :be aO -picas, the usual custom is to compose two20-pica twin slugs (a leftand a right), which are subsequently doubledup toform a composed l ne of 10 picas. At the point of1jointing a word is broken overfromtheleft ft-o the right slug, ora space is employed either at the end of the left slugl or atthe beginning of the right slug. .This method is objectionable because of the difficulty in? securing accurate alinement of one columnof slugs with its adjoining twin column when the form is locked up, and also'because of certain I inaccuracies that are: inherent in slug composition relative tolocation of face to body of slug, thereby causing white-space to appear between the letters of ajword broken overtwo adjoining slugs.

I attain the 'objectsof "my invention in connection with any linotype or SlHlllZtRzIl'lEL- chine by a novel. method; illustrated. incthe accompanying drawings, and in which Figure 1 is anoutlineof aprinted impression of a llIlGIOOlTlPOSGCl'lIl accordance a modified form; Fig. 3 is similar to ZFlg. 1,but: showing another modifiedform; i y

Fig. 4:: is an outlinedlprintedimpression Fig. 2 is similar .to :Fig.1,:but showin wof two lines 1 composed ini accorola nce with "my iinventlon;

Fig. 5 is a printedimpressioni of.the acompositionrepresented in Figs. 1,.1 2,:.3'; and 4, showing'it in' jointed form;

Fig. 6 isa front elevation ofza portion ofthe machine with my copyboard and in- CllCElZOI' applied thereto;

Flg. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, taken on the line 23-23, showing the indicatorblock, the actuating lever and itsfinger, the-indicator lock, and the assembl'lng elevator lever, in inoperative position; I I Fig. 8 is similar to Fig. 7 but showing the indicator mechanism in an operative posit Fig. 9 is similar to F igj 7 but showing the indicator mechanism in still another position;

10 is a detail View of the lift attached to the assembling elevator lever;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary front view or i copyboard, showing the face of indicator blockin oneof itsffourv positions; 7

.lliigs- 12, Band-14 are detail views. of. the faces of the remainingthree sides of the indicator block and Fig. 15. is a sectional View. of. copyboard, taken on the line-24. 24.

,The essence} of myinvention consists. in thecomposition of twinslug linotype matter. by employing slugs of varying lengths, at the. same time eliminatingfthe. division of any word from a lefttoa right slug. To avoid changes in mechanism, this result is attained by overse'tting [two slugs of even lengths,- the overset section.(hereinafter designated as cut-OE) being formed by .pica

.set wise matrices, preferably bearing .a.dis tinctive design, whereby:thepart of the using: to be; removed is' subsequently readily distinguished. Assuming. that a; 4E0-pica line .is i desired, Fig. 1-:shows; how it would. be composed by employing two 21+pica2slugs, the two-'pica"cut-oif of the left slug 2' beingrepresentedby11,-which, when re- .moved wbefo're the printing operation, re- :duces the length-of: the-left slug 2 tothe measure of 19picas. Jointed with its: twin right slug 3, which: measures 21 f picas, the totalpica measure. is that required. for. printingipurposesz 40 picas. To produce =f aity-pe-form containing long -andvshort slugs fon the purposeiof causing faninterlockingxor dovetailing arrangement .wvhen L the: slugs are; made-up into i a form, it is necessarytornary the. location of theoutr off 1.1-,-1: relative tof left and right slugs. gFigl :2 showslhow ..tl1is'.:may"besaccomplished an: oversetl-ine bearing the cutoff? 1-1 uiar location of the cut-off does not necessarily follow in the alternate order illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, as will now be explained:

In Fig. 3 is shown a twin'slug line bearing a one-pica cut-off 1 on the left slug and also a one-pica cut-off 1 on the right slug 3, this formation being caused by avoidance of the division of the word Cologne, it being impossibleto compose the whole of said word in the left slug 2 if it were desired to make it a short slug similar to slug 2 of Fig. 1, as would be the regular predetern'iined order. It would likewise'be objectionable, for typographical reasons, to set this particular slug as a long slu (similar to left slug 2 of Fig. 2). Accordingly, the cut-off is divided evenly over the two slugs :23 (Fig. 3) and the division of the word Cologne is thereby avoided.

It should be particularly noted at this point that the carrying out of the invention may be largely performed by the regular. sequence of a short slug and a long slug to form one line, and a long slug and a short slug to form the succeeding line, and so on, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, such sequence being automatically directed by an indicator later to be described herein. Yet it will be foundin practice that to avoid the division of a word over two slugs it will be necessary to interrupt the sequence in still another manner different to the departure just shown by Fig. 3. Thus, it will be occasionally necessary to compose a long slug 9 and a short slug 3 to form one line, and likewise a long slug 2* and a short slug 3 to form the succeeding line, as illustrated in Fig. 4. For the left slug fl of Fig. 4 a short slug would be employed by predetermined order. To do so, however, would involve the division of the word exceptionally. Accordingly, the cut-of iscarried to the right slug 3 and the interlocking feature. heretofore described,momentarily dropped for the sake of avoiding the division of the word exceptionally.

It will now be apparent that the location of the cut-off on twin slugs overse't in accordance with my invention depends upon the regular jointing of slugs that may be designated as short left, long right, long left, short right, and so on, until the avoidance of word division requires that this reg ular order be dropped and the cut-off so located that the space 4 may be placed either at the end of the left slug or at the begin ning of the right slug. The elilninationof word division in twin-slug composition'is, I believe, a new-feature in the art. I

To carry out the object-sof theinvention the linotype machine :lS equipped in a mortise contained in copyboard6,

with a rectangular indicator block 5, 131VOl16dWit'l1- (Fig. 11), said indicator block bearing upon its longitudinal sides four guides, which are operably exposed in the sequential order illustrated in Figs. 11, 12, 13 and l l. The shaded squares 11 11 and let) of said guides are printed in red and serve as guides to the operator for the setting of the cutoff, heretofore described. The remaining squares 12 are printed in black and provide means whereby the operator may enter the number of ems required for any indention, or series of indentions, in composing copy, all of which will be readily understood by the experienced compositor.

Fig. '7 shows the lever 13, which is attached. to the under side of copyboard (5 by a hinge 1 1, the adjusting screw 15 providing a seat for said lever when in the normal position shown. 'Pivoted inside a mortise in lever 13 is the indicator 'operatingfingei' 16, the pitch of which is adjustable to indicator block 5 by means of the adjusting plate'l'i'. The lift 18 (Figs. 7 and 10) is operably attached to the arm 19 of the well-known assembling elevator lever 20. Raising of the assembling elevator lever 20 to deliver a line a matrices to the casting mechanism causes the lift 18 to elevate the lever 13 and with it the finger 16, which pushes upwardly under the indicator block 5 and thereby exposes the guide to be'followed in composing the succeeding slug. Fig. 8 next shows the finger 16 about to be pushed away from the side of the indicator block 5, at which position the weight lock 21 is at its uppermost elevation. Fig. 9 next shows the finger 16 clear of operative engagement with indica tor block 5 and the weight lock 21 again resting in normal position. The descent of the assembling elevator 22 (Fig. 6) causes the lever 13 to drop into normal position as shown in Fig. 7, during which operation the indicator block 5'is held against movement by-the back-leash of finger 16 by the weight of the lock 21.

When required to change the predetermined order governing the location of the cut-off, as controlled by the sequential eX- "posure of the guides heretofore described,. the operator merely turns the indicator block 5 by hand to coincide with the altered course made necessary in avoiding word division. A copy-follower 7 (Fig. 1.1), tied by laces 8 to weights 9 (Fig. 15), provides a simple means whereby the "operator may follow complicated copy, line by line, even though :the copy may be furnished in bulky form. The weights 9 are enclosed in square tubes (10, thereby renderingthe entire copyboard self-contained and instantly removable from the machine without the disengagement or displacement of any parts.

iManifestly many modifications may be developed that might accomplish, in less pre- ,ferred form, the ends attained in this in- Hit) vention, and yet will be comprehended in its scope. Since the combination of an operable indicator and an actuating device controlled by the periodical operation of the machine is new in the art, I claim the same broadly and in any mechanical equivalent.

I claim:

1. In combination, the assembling mechanism of a typographical machine, means cooperating With said mechanism, and means adapted to be actuated by the last mentioned means to automatically signal a predetermined order of twin-slug composition.

2. In combination, the assembling mechanism of a typographical machine, means cooperating with said mechanism, means to automatically signal a predetermined order or twin-slug composition, and means to in dicate the location of overset sections, substantially as described.

3. In combination, the assembling mechanism of a typographical machine, means cooperatingwith said mechanism, means to automatically signal a predetermined order or twinslug composition, and means to separately indicate the left slug and the right slug during the composition of a twin-slug line of typographical matter, substantially as described.

4. In combination, the assembling mechanism of a typographical machine, means cooperating with said mechanism, means to autoi'natically signal a predetermined order of twin-slug composition, and means to separately indicate the long slug and the short slug during the composition of a twin-slug line of typographical matter, substantially as described.

5. In combination, the assembling mechanism of a typographical machine, means whereby the assembling elevator lever arm 19 cooperates with means to automatically signal a predetermined order of twin-slug composition, and means to lock the signaling means against displacement until actuated by the operating means or by hand.

6. In combination, the assembling mechanism of a typographical machine, means cooperating with said mechanism, means to automatically signal a predetermined order of twin-slug composition, means to lock the signaling means against displacement, and means to automatically release said locking means simultaneously with the operation of the signaling means.

7. An attachment for typographical ma-- chines comprising a copyboard containing in its front face an operable indicator bearing a series of twin-slug guides, means to actuate said indicator by engagement with a periodically-moved organ, and means to lock and unlock said indicator in relatively inoperative and operative positions.

8. The herein-described method or" twin slug composition, consistlng of oversetting 

